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Mascara tricks for sensitive eyes

Some people are more sensitive to products than others – after all, no two skins are made the same. We’ve recently had clients with very sensitive eyes complain that they can never find a mascara that won’t make their eyes water and redden.

Granted, we do advise that you read carefully all the ingredients in your mascara. Most mascaras in the market, drugstores and brand-names alike, are packed with chemicals. No one can be sure of the long-term effects of putting those chemicals on your skin, but short-term effects include irritation, redness and watery eyes.

Not everyone will have trouble with mascaras. As I said every skin is different. But we would recommend for you to find a mascara that has the least amount of chemicals. We are, as you all know, advocates of Jane Iredale: the brand’s mascaras have no shellac, no petroleum products and no coltar. Perfect for sensitive eyes.

Besides finding the brand that works for you, here are a few points to be mindful of:

– Layer the mascara:

Don’t overload the mascara wand. Sometimes that leads to product bumping on your eyes – which can lead to irritation. Work with small quantities – it will also be 10 times easier to control the application.

– Don’t coat the eyelash all the way to the root:

To avoid hitting your eyes, stick to applying the mascara from the middle up – you’ll have the same effect of fuller lashes, and you can always darken the roots with a dark kohl pencil.

– Don’t use waterproof mascaras everyday:

Waterproof mascaras are tougher to remove, that’s their whole deal. If your eyes are sensitive, the last thing you need is to be tugging and pulling at your lashes to remove all of that mascara every night. Leave the waterproof mascara for those emotional evenings, and opt for a normal formula for daily use. Some brands even make water resistant mascaras – that won’t smear as easily, but won’t need all that work to be removed.

– Avoid the bottom lashes:

99% of people have more trouble reaching the bottom lashes. It’s not unusual that some of the wand will end up in your eye. It’s painful, it irritates, and your eye waters so much that it takes a miracle for your makeup not to smudge. There are ways to make the eye stand out without touching those little guys. Just focus on a nice coat on top and add a brightening hue to your inner rim. You can always dust a darker color over the lashes for a sharper look.

– Optional: Use a lash conditioner

If you want to go a step further, invest on a lash conditioner. They will, as the name says, condition your lashes, making them stronger and more beautiful. It’s a known fact that mascaras dry out your lashes, specially waterproof formulas. So if you want to maintain the health of your eyelashes, we definitely recommend adding this product to your routine. You can use it as a primer, before your mascara, or incorporate it to your skin care routine at night, just coating your lashes with it and going to sleep.